County commission urges state to honor past commitments

Lenawee County would get more than a $400,000 raise in its state revenue-sharing payments next year under a proposal to fully restore payments that Lansing suspended 14 years ago.

A resolution urging legislators "to live up their promise" and thanking Gov. Rick Snyder for proposing a full restoration of revenue sharing was passed Wednesday by the county commission.

Partial revenue-sharing payments were restored to Lenawee County several years ago. The county is to receive $1,626,725 as its share of state sales tax revenue this year. If a full payment under state law is restored, payments next year are to total $2,034,689.

The increase would help bring county revenue back in line with expenses. The county is expecting to spend more than $1 million from reserves to balance the books for 2013. This year's budget commits up to $1 million more in reserves to cover expenses.

A resolution read by commissioner Cletus Smith, R-Madison Twp., said it is time for the state to honor past commitments that the revenue-sharing system is based upon.

According to the resolution, "revenue sharing is more than just a pot of money to be allocated in whole or in part to counties, but is a statutory promise made to counties in exchange for giving up local taxing authority and for a more recent change in local taxing administration."

Revenue sharing is used by counties to pay for mandated services such as courts, jails, public health programs and elections.

The resolution stated county commissioners "call upon the state Legislature to live up to their promise and adopt the governor's recommendation for fully funding county revenue sharing" in the 2014-15 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.